Grant

Hispanic students are one of the least represented in universities all over the United States. The Pew Hispanic Center reports only 16% of Hispanic students complete a bachelor’s degree before they turn 30. Cost is definitely one of the major factors in this statistic but with the help of Hispanic grants more students can attend college and complete their degrees. A number of these programs are available.

Below are some of the options available for students:

Verizon Scholars Program – This program which connects to eligible students through the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) offers up to $5,000 to students who are pursuing degrees in business administration, computer science, finance, and related fields. To qualify, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Marriott Scholars Program – Also offered through the HCF, this program awards up to $9,000 to students who are interested in fields of hospitality and hotel management. A 3.0 GPA is also a pre-requisite.

Lockheed Martin Program – These Hispanic grants are open to students in the fields of science, engineering, or business administration. Awards range from $500 to $5,000 per student and a total of $90,000 in awards are distributed annually.

Hilton Family Diversity Program – Hispanic students can also qualify for these ten grants of $2,500 each. These grants are renewable so students could earn up to $10,000 for their entire four years of study. The award decisions are made based on the achievements of the students who can also a scholars retreat funded by the Hilton family.

Kaiser-Permanente College to Caring Program – For Hispanic students in the field of nursing, this program offers a valuable opportunity. Each year six students who are either junior or senior college students are chosen to receive an $8,000 grant. Additionally, they receive $2,000 and a chance to participate in a work-study program through Kaiser-Permanente in California.

Sallie Mae Fund First in My Family – Students who are going to be the first member of their families to attend college can win one of these Hispanic grants in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000 per student.

Sodexho Grants – This company offers eighteen $5,000 awards annually to Hispanic students through the Hispanic College Fund. If you’ve already applied for other scholarships through the HCF, you don’t have to do anything else to be considered for these awards.

In addition to these specific Hispanic grants, you should check out the possibilities available through the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). This organization offers numerous awards every year. Some require students to be pursuing specific majors; others do not. On average, the minimum GPA required to apply is 2.7 but some do not have any grade point average requirements.

These and other Hispanic grants programs offer students a way to fund their education and to improve those statistics.